Current research

A number of research projects are already underway, including:

The Science Central borehole in the centre of Newcastle, which at 1800 m is the deepest geothermal well drilled for nearly 30 years! The well has intersected 377 m of the Carboniferous Fell Sandstone Formation at a depth 1419 m. Temperatures of 73 °C indicate a geothermal gradient of 36°C km-1, well above the UK average. Research is continuing on the potential yield of the reservoirs and the origins of the geothermal waters.

Detailed investigations of the Hot Sedimentary Aquifers (HSAs), examining new data from hydrocarbon wells and synergies between the onshore and offshore.

Determining the geothermal potential of old mine workings and how this large resource can be practically exploited (for example the Heat energy beneath Glasgow)

New algorithms and data sets for correcting heat flow for palaeoclimate and topography that will enable more accurate predictions of temperature at depth.